Responses to the Article

     I want to thank you for the insightful article. I was a member of the Jacksonville Symphony for 13 years and when I gave up the job, not even a 1st tier orchestra job, 25 people auditioned for the position and that was in 1993. I agree with your theory of developing niches and creating ones own market and that is in fact what the teacher must inspire the student toward in their studies.

     It is always refreshing to hear another point of view, but your comment as regards the orchestral world was right on and accurate. Music has become a cottage industry and students cannot only play "Porgy and Bess" and such, but they need to have a solid foundation in some form of world music and have electronic and computer skills as well. Anyway I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for a refreshing article.

Tony Steve
Prof. of Percussion
Jacksonville University

     Don, this is a good article.  I like the direction you are going in and I feel like you are offering good advice.  Letting people know that it is possible to be a professional musicain and make a decent living (I mean look at you) while still being realistic about the dificulties and set backs (look at me).  My one criticism would be that you have started your article with your audience as highschool aged students and their parents while you end your article with your audience and the schools administration.  Other than that I don't see any real problems with the article.  It makes me realize that while my jazz performance degree from the prestegious Rutgers University may be worthless when I am trying to find a job, I should put to use all that hard work and start making my self available to all the jobbing musicains in the city and make some money doing what I am trained to do...SWING.

Sam Koentopp
Chicago, IL

     Boy, what a great article!!!  You have said it all and covered some important factors!  As a product of the Chicago Public Schools, I was fortunate to have a band director and a private lessons teacher who loved music, and who developed a business through educating others in music.  My band director @ Morgan Park HS, Mr. LaCognata had a school on 111th and Kedzie which taught private lessons.  What a concept!! Now, a lot of students feel as though this component is not necessary.  In those days, it was a known fact if you wanted to advance you had to take private lessons.  After out-growing that teacher (he admitted that I needed to move on), I started taking lessons downtown with Jamz Dutton at the American Conservatory of Music.  How exciting to travel downtown and see those great teaching studios with a drum set, timpani, marimba, etc....enrolling in mallet ensemble, being challenged to sight-read, etc.  It was exciting to go to the drum shop just to see who was there.  I might not buy anything just ask Mike Balter (behind the counter) to play his "Buddy Rich" one handed roll.  Wow!!!!  Students now want the directors to supply them with mallets, reeds, and don't even know where the music store is, or just order it on line.

     I am a product of the college system and experienced a variety of influences @ U of Illinois. I have strived to give my students more, and focused on transferring all of the classical European concepts to the real world of gigging; an overall knowledge of percussion.  I have personally survived by being able to handle all levels of percussion gigs from drumset in a cover band to orchestral Christmas Music, being able to play congas, timbales, or maracas.  Listening to all styles of music constantly!!!!!  That should be the joy of playing percussion!  You can't have a lazy mentality regarding this craft!!!

     Also, I make this comment to students!  There are poor doctors and lawyers out there.  You must love what you do and develop your career.  No one is giving away a life or a career.  It must be earned and developed!!

     Thanks for a great article!  I'm going to make sure and direct my students to your website to read the truth.

Marvin Sparks
Music Educator(K-College)
North Forest ISD, Texas Southern University


     The major advantage that I see in the "generalist" undergraduate education, at least where I am, is that many (most) incoming freshmen don't even know what they don't know. There are a lot of students in rural areas who haven't had access to private instruction or other advantages of "big programs." The undergraduate curriculum gives them a chance to "find themselves" and move on to a more specialized degree, if they so choose.

Dr.Kurt Gartner
Kansas State University


The author responds,

     I totally agree, and for students who need to develop a good base before specializing, a General Percussion program is probably the right place. But in my experience, when I place students in GP programs they tend to wind up as college teachers.

     If I was always sure that teaching was their true vocation, and they could all end up running a program as good as yours, I would be content, but I've seen some get left behind because there are more teachers than jobs and many graduates just don't have the skills or connections to stay afloat in the business until they can find a teaching job.

     Can they find those skills in a GP program? Sure they can, but only if their teachers emphasize real-life skills within the program structure. That way they at least have the option.